If you are interested in technologies used by our ancestors, you should not miss to visit the "Tobiashammer" a technical museum in Ohrdruf, Thuringia.
A huge sign on the road side shows you the way to a free parking lot. After a very short walk you reach the park like area of the museum. Art work can be seen everywhere and if you have children with you they certainly will enjoy outdoor activities if they start to get bored.
A little restaurant and souvenir shop can not be overseen.
We believe that Thuringia offers a great variety of all kind of attractions and we try to show a few of them in our tourist guide. This may help you to enjoy you vacation even when the weather is not cooperating.
If you are a interested in forging as an artist or as a hobby, you should use the contact information. Seminars etc. are provided at certain times. But please do not ask us. We will stay out of running other's people business for free.
Thuringian business has to learn that they must spend some money to make money.

You feel like being in a park

Our guide explains the water powered hammers which were used for forging

I joined a very small group of German visitors on a guided tour. As far as I understood no English language tours are available. Hopefully, this will change in future if justified by the demand. It would be a perfect summer job for a student.
Helpful are posted drawings which explain how certain things work, but again nothing in English.

A schematic which shows the principle

The shaft with the cams is driven by a water wheel

Depending of the work to be done shapes and size of the hammers were selected.

Here you can see the impressive size of one of the hammers

The little creek which supplies the power

How to make sheet metal

Especially impressing was to learn how our forefathers produced sheet metal by using water power.
The left picture shows the fly wheel.
The metal has to be rolled thinner and thinner. The little creeks and relatively small water wheels could never provide the required power to do that.
For that reason kinetic energy was stored in a huge fly wheel which was able to use this for one work cycle. You see, they knew how to use basic physics!
It was nice to see many demonstrations and to listen to all the very detailed explanations. The lady guide knew her stuff very well.
I am very glad that all this equipment could be saved and can be shown today everybody who is interested in the development of technology.
The guided tour took about one hour. I stayed longer and browsed around on my own. It does not make sense travel thousands of kilometers and then rush through everything

Another main attraction of the "Tobiashammer Museum" is one of the largest steam engines you can find in Europe. It was still used few years ago and then moved to this place. It produces 12 000 horse powers. For demonstration an electric motor can turn it slowly.

Have you ever seen such a monster steam engine?

It is really impressing!

The steam engine is running for demonstration by use of an electric motor

This museum is really a hidden gem and it could attract many international travelers who are interested in past technology.
In addition it offered also accommodation and a craft shop in a beautiful natural setting.
It is a shame that no English written information are available to allow self guided tours for the large group of people who have a good knowledge of English.
Instead of spending lot of tax payers money for self promotion the Thuringian government should fund things like that!